Despite the ideal of a paperless environment that the popularization of computers had promised, paper continues to dominate the office landscape. Ironically, the computer itself has been a major contributing source of paper proliferation. The computer simplifies the task of document composition, and thus has enabled even greater numbers of publishers. The computer promotes individual expression through the use of graphics tools, image capture devices, image enhancement tools, and so on, in addition to traditional text editing. Oftentimes, documents must be shared among colleagues, thus generating even more paper.
Despite advances in technology, suitable personal output devices as a practical substitute for paper remain to be developed. Personal data assistants (PDAs such as Palm Pilot® by 3Comm, Inc., and similar hand held devices) typically do not have the storage capacity, the processing capacity, the display capacity, or the connectivity to effectively present documents to the user in a convenient and useful manner. Unlike paper, devices such as PDAs are not universal. While many document formats exist for representing information, not all devices have all the software needed to read all documents. Worse yet, PDA documents typically use formats that are not readily available on a desktop or laptop PC. Usually, documents have to be converted between formats. Thus, paper remains the simplest way in many situations for storing information (e.g., record keeping), distributing information, and controlling access to information.
Paper has been an integral component of civilization for thousands of years. Its replacement is not likely to occur soon, if ever, despite the ubiquity of computer-based technology. Electronic information almost invariably is reduced, at least in part, to paper. Perhaps then, the role of the computer is not to achieve a paperless society. Instead, the role of the computer may be as a tool to move effortlessly between paper and electronic media with which it was created. Generally, there is a need to use computers to more effectively share information and to provide access to that information. In addition, the information should not be limited to any particular mode of expression, allowing for all forms of communication media.
A cover sheet, as used in a TouchVerse™ system of Ricoh Innovations of Menlo Park, Calif., is typically a paper document that provides access to and management of a collection of arbitrary media files. Each cover sheet typically contains a machine-readable identifier for the collection as well as a graphic or image representing the contents of the collection. When a modification occurs to the collection, the graphic that appears on the cover sheet must be changed. However, to reflect those changes, a new paper cover sheet must be printed.
Re-writable or other media are available. For example, Dai Nippon has the G-H PDLC rewritable medium.
Two examples of -like displays, though not rewriteable include Xerox's Gyricon Rotating magnetic balls, which are black on one side and white on the other and where a magnetic field is used to rotate the magnetic bells, which remain in place until a magnet is brought in close proximity to them again. For more information, see http://www.gyriconmedia.com/. E-Ink from MIT and Phillips has charged pigment chips in a clear fluid contained in capsules. These chips migrate to the top or bottom depending on magnetization. An example of rewriteable includes magnetic particles embedded in wax. A prototype of this recyclable, rewritable was exhibited at CEATEC Japan 2003 by Shinsho Corporation and Majima Laboratory, Inc in October 2003. The 's rewritable layer, sandwiched between protective layers such as transparent plastic film, consists of magnetic particles embedded in solid wax. The print can be erased and rewritten using a dedicated thermal printer that incorporates a magnet. The rewriting mechanism is based on a specialized printer and the works as follows. From the thermal head of the printer, heat is applied to the rewritable surface of the, melting the wax. The magnetic particles in the heated portion of the wax gravitate toward the magnet located on the opposite side of the thermal head. The wax then cools and solidifies, fixing the magnetic particles drawn toward the magnet. This produces the printed characters, which appear in the color of the magnetic particles. Because the wax has a low melting point (50 degrees Celsius), only the wax melts when the is heated after the plastic film is removed. This allows the wax and the magnetic particles to be easily recovered separately. Both materials can then be reused.
Also, in September 2003, Ricoh Co, Ltd exhibited its ‘RECO-View IC-Tag Sheet’ at the Auto-ID Expo 2003 event held September 10-12 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. The sheet, which features an embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, uses film sheets that can be repeatedly written on and erased by means of thermal printing. The film can be used to display the digital data stored in its own RFID tag.
However, the current re-writable systems function essentially as recyclers. Sheets that have been used are placed into an erasing unit that removes the visible marks from the paper using, for example, a thermal or thermo-magnetic process. The resulting sheets are then made available to the printing process. No attempt is made to scan or use the information from the used sheets prior to erasing and all items placed in the erasing unit are assumed to be the correct re-writable type. Therefore, one downside with the use of these systems is that there is no link between one version of a document and a new version of the same document. Another downside is that if the paper is being tracked (as opposed to the content), then it cannot be tracked through the erasing system. Thus, there is no link between the content and the paper.
Collections of paper documents are used for many purposes. Many people keep folders of documents on their desks or in their file system that are related to a particular task or to a particular person. A law firm keeps a “docket” of papers for a specific case or client. A medical office keeps at least one file of papers for each patient who uses that office. It is important to keep those papers together to facilitate work tasks related to those papers. For instance, in a medical office, if a doctor wishes to review a patient's medical history, she can flip through that patient's folder and look at what tests have been performed or what illnesses the patent has suffered in the past.
The use of paper is prevalent in the medical field. Existing systems for tracking patient information, including paper files and electronic medical records, provide various types of information to health-care providers. In paper charts, these are known as “face sheets” that provide critical information such as allergies, medications, and diagnosis. In paper charts, physicians must update these face sheets manually as well as enter the same information on various encounter forms. This practice is labor intensive and not standardized. Similarly, updating summary information for electronic medical records has not yet been standardized and physicians report spending excessive time trying to navigate electronic records to get a clear picture of vital patient information.